It is said that once 52 biographies of writers of occasional great talent, but sadly little renown were once readable at a website commemorating them, ‘The Biographical Dictionary of Literary Failure.’

Whether this is true, or merely some piece of bookish gossip, is not known.

However, all, perhaps, is not lost.

An enterprising publishing house in New York – Melville House – will be publishing a book entitled The Biographical Dictionary of Literary Failure in autumn 2014. We sincerely hope you read it.